释义 |
pretencepre‧tence British English, pretense American English /prɪˈtens $ ˈpriːtens/ noun [singular, uncountable] - After two weeks he could keep up the pretence no longer and decided to tell her the truth.
- Mr Tellwright made no pretence of concealing his satisfaction.
- The worst thing about liberal academics is the pretence that they are somehow more open-minded than their opponents.
- Wilson asked Carly out to dinner, on the pretence that he wanted to talk to her about business.
- Designing with tradition is not a pretence for re-creating the old.
- For all her pretence, she loved books.
- For six weeks, Charlotte had sustained the pretence that her suspicions about Maurice could somehow be stifled.
- Gummer makes no pretence of objectivity in his text.
- He adopts Harsnett's premise that possession is a theatrical performance - Edgar continually brings attention to his madness being a pretence.
- On the Reach itself, there could be no pretence that this would be an ordinary night.
- The parent's intention is often to protect so they hide tears and sorrowing putting on a ghastly pretence of cheerfulness.
an attempt to pretend that something is true► pretence British /pretense American an attempt to pretend that something is true, especially in order to deceive people: pretence of: · After my mother left, my father gave up even the pretense of caring for anyone besides himself.pretence that: · The worst thing about liberal academics is the pretence that they are somehow more open-minded than their opponents.on the pretence that/of (=pretending that it is the reason for what you are doing): · Wilson asked Carly out to dinner, on the pretence that he wanted to talk to her about business.· The first time she had called was on the pretense of finding out how Letia was. make a pretence of doing something (=pretend to do it): · Mr Tellwright made no pretence of concealing his satisfaction.keep up the pretence (=continue pretending): · After two weeks he could keep up the pretence no longer and decided to tell her the truth. ► charade a situation in which people pretend that something is true and behave as if it were true, especially when everyone really knows that it is not true: · The trial was just a charade -- the verdict had already been decided.· Simon told Susan that his marriage was a charade, continued only for the sake of the children. ► sham an attempt to deceive people by pretending that something is true, especially if it is easy for people to see that it is not true: · She believed Rodney's sudden change in attitude was only a sham.· The election was a sham. Officials intimidated peasants into voting for the government candidates, or simply stuffed the ballot boxes. ► front an organization or activity that seems to be legal and ordinary but which is secretly being used for an illegal purpose: · The club was just a front - Luchese's real business was drug smuggling and gun running. front for: · The charity has been accused of being a front for anti-government activity. adjectives► an elaborate pretence (=one that is carefully planned and done, but obviously not true or real)· He made an elaborate pretence of yawning and said he was going to bed. verbs► make a pretence· Steve made a vague pretence at being interested. ► keep up/maintain a pretence (=keep pretending that you are doing something or that something is true)· She kept up the pretence that her husband had died in order to claim the insurance money. ► abandon/give up/drop a pretence (=stop pretending that you are doing something or that something is true)· Maria had abandoned any pretence of having faith of any kind long ago. ► make no pretence (=not pretend to do or have something)· I made no pretence of great musical knowledge. ► drop the pretence (=stop pretending)· He has finally dropped the pretence that he’s innocent. VERB► abandon· With relief, I abandoned any pretence at being clever and became a mystic assistant labourer. ► drop· Now, though, the New Labour high command seems ready to drop the pretence.· Occasionally, they drop all pretence of fairness.· No other hypocrites in Shakespeare gain so much so quickly, so easily, and can afford to drop pretence so fast.· If only he would drop all this ridiculous pretence, stop acting the fool and raise his game one more time.· By now Miller had dropped all pretence at knowing where he was, and the night was exceedingly dark. ► keep· How long could she keep up the pretence of being a competent sailor?· It was only in London they had to keep up the pretence that Buckmaster had nothing to do with his company.· Though we no longer went out together in the evenings, I promised to keep up the pretence that we did.· My friends, mostly similarly ignorant, all keep up this absurd pretence, and all beneath the eyes of an expert.· And referee trying to prize them apart, to keep at least the pretence of a fight going.· Critics could barely keep to the constitutional pretence that the monarch was above political error.· What effort is required to keep up the pretence?· She was strongly aware of his presence, and in the end she couldn't keep up the pretence. ► make· Gummer makes no pretence of objectivity in his text.· Wolfowitz's announcement made that pretence no longer tenable.· The kind of love he wanted she could never give, and had never made any pretence of.· It made no pretence of catering to faddish tastes like vegetarianism or high fibre diets.· To make a decent pretence that she cared?· He made a great pretence of studying her ticket, turning it over, then turning it back.· It seems he makes no pretence about his disgusting perversion.· He had never made much pretence at hiding it. ► under false pretences- He got a loan from the bank under false pretences.
- Immigration officers attempt to catch people entering the country under false pretenses.
- He brought me down here to work for him under false pretences.
- He was only interested in himself and his business, and had married her under false pretences.
- I felt as if I was there under false pretences.
- I got into your office under false pretences, but there was no other way.
1a way of behaving which is intended to make people believe something that is not truepretence that the pretence that the old system could be made to workpretence of/at (being/doing) something a pretence at seriousness Tollitt made no pretense of being surprised. How long are you going to keep up the pretence of being ill?abandon/give up/drop a pretence Abandoning any pretense at politeness, they ran for the door.under the pretence of (doing) something John waited for her under the pretence of tying his shoelaces. It was all an elaborate pretence.2under/on false pretences without telling the truth about yourself or your intentions: You brought me here under false pretences!COLLOCATIONSadjectivesan elaborate pretence (=one that is carefully planned and done, but obviously not true or real)· He made an elaborate pretence of yawning and said he was going to bed.verbsmake a pretence· Steve made a vague pretence at being interested.keep up/maintain a pretence (=keep pretending that you are doing something or that something is true)· She kept up the pretence that her husband had died in order to claim the insurance money.abandon/give up/drop a pretence (=stop pretending that you are doing something or that something is true)· Maria had abandoned any pretence of having faith of any kind long ago.make no pretence (=not pretend to do or have something)· I made no pretence of great musical knowledge. |